Wireless mobile communication technology uses various standards and protocols to transmit data between a node (e.g., a transmission station) and a wireless device (e.g., a mobile device). Some wireless devices communicate using orthogonal frequency-division multiple access (OFDMA) in a downlink (DL) transmission and single carrier frequency division multiple access (SC-FDMA) in an uplink (UL) transmission. Standards and protocols that use orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) for signal transmission include the third generation partnership project (3GPP) long term evolution (LTE), the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.16 standard (e.g., 802.16e, 802.16m), which is commonly known to industry groups as WiMAX (Worldwide interoperability for Microwave Access), and the IEEE 802.11 standard, which is commonly known to industry groups as WiFi. In 3GPP radio access network (RAN) LTE systems, the node can be a combination of Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN) Node Bs (also commonly denoted as evolved Node Bs, enhanced Node Bs, eNodeBs, or eNBs) and Radio Network Controllers (RNCs), which communicates with the wireless device, known as a user equipment (UE). The downlink (DL) transmission can be a communication from the node (e.g., eNodeB) to the wireless device (e.g., UE), and the uplink (UL) transmission can be a communication from the wireless device to the node.
In addition, a wireless multiple-access communications system may include a number of eNodeBs, each simultaneously supporting communication for multiple mobile devices. The eNodeBs may communicate with mobile devices on downstream and upstream links. In some wireless networks, a user equipment (UE) may be capable of supporting multiple wireless technologies concurrently. For example, a UE may simultaneously transmit data over a wireless local area network (WLAN) link and a Long Term Evolution (LTE) link. However, current scalability, deployment, functionality, and protocols for communication between the UE and the eNodeB and/or the WLAN can be inefficient to meet the current demands. Thus, a desire exits for a solution to provide functionality and protocols scalable and efficient to meet the constraints for communication between the UE and the eNodeB and/or the WLAN.
Reference will now be made to the exemplary embodiments illustrated, and specific language will be used herein to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the technology is thereby intended.